News

Firefighters to walk out for 24 hours

Local firefighters who are members of the Fire Brigades Union will walk out for 24 hours next week as the pensions row with the government escalates.

A 24-hour strike — the longest yet in the three-year campaign — will take place from 9am on Thursday 12 June.

Another strike is set for 10am-5pm on Saturday 21 June.

In addition, between the two strikes, firefighters will not carry out any voluntary overtime — which is routinely needed by many fire and rescue services to maintain fire cover — or conduct training of strikebreakers between the beginning of the first strike and 9am on Sunday 22 June.

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: “The minister has decided to bury his head in the sand, but he must accept that firefighters simply will not give up fighting for their futures — and our fire and rescue service.

“Concerns over these unworkable proposals remain as valid and grave as ever, and the government has ignored all the evidence including it’s own reports.

“It is as ever a difficult decision for us to take, but the only way for us to resolve this unnecessary and costly dispute is for the government to start listening to reason.”

THE FBU says that under the government’s proposals, firefighters who are forced to retire before the age of 60 as a result of ageing will have half of their pension taken away.

The two strikes will be the thirteenth and fourteenth over pensions. The first was on Thursday 24 September 2013.